PUTRAJAYA: Tasik Bera, one
of the largest freshwater lakes in Pahang, is getting polluted. The water level
is also dropping.
Wetlands International communication technical officer Gabriel
Chong said there had been unconfirmed reports that the lake, home to the
Semelai community, which is one of 19 Orang Asli communities in the peninsula,
was facing serious degradation problem.
"The causes include fertilisers and insecticides running off from nearby plantations, sewage from communities living around the lake and oil from motorboats," he said.
"Prior to the late 1970s, the watershed consisted of secondary and primary forests. Today, oil palm plantations surround the lake. There have been reports of oil palm trees planted right up to the banks of the lake."
Wetlands International is a member of the Tasik Bera Ramsar management authority.
"The causes include fertilisers and insecticides running off from nearby plantations, sewage from communities living around the lake and oil from motorboats," he said.
"Prior to the late 1970s, the watershed consisted of secondary and primary forests. Today, oil palm plantations surround the lake. There have been reports of oil palm trees planted right up to the banks of the lake."
Wetlands International is a member of the Tasik Bera Ramsar management authority.
Chong said water analysis carried out by the Department of
Environment at 11 monitoring stations around the lake showed a Class 111
rating. Under the DOE classification, Class 111 water requires extensive
treatment.
He said water in the lake was less transparent, especially in stations located close to oil palm estates and areas exposed to "high" human activities.
"It is also an indication of higher erosion in the catchment area due to removal of riparian vegetables," he said in a working paper entitled Tasik Bera: Past, Present, Future presented at the colloquium on lake and reservoir management, status and issues.
The event was opened by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid yesterday.
Chong said the decreasing amount of water in the lake was also a cause for concern.
"Areas with water readings of less than two metres will dry up during the hot season. The causes of lower water level are not specific and disputed by different parties," he said.
"It ultimately relates to the land management issues in the catchment area.
"There are unconfirmed reports of water being used to irrigate oil palm plantations, clearing of pandanus and dredging for drainage and navigation purposes that have resulted in higher water discharge.
"Alteration to the seasonal flooding patterns has also been suggested as a cause."
Chong said the degradation of water quality and quantity had severe implications on the livelihood of the Semelai community.
"The community depends on the lake for transportation and natural resources, which are harvested for making handicraft.
"Reports by the Semelai Association of Boating and Tourism claimed there were times when tourists were not able to go to the lake from Pos Iskandar or to the campsites due to low water level, especially during the dry season."
Chong said there were also documented reports of illegal logging of meranti and keruning trees and earth-removal activities.
"Certain endangered species such as the jelawat fish, crocodiles, red jungle fowls and masked finfoot were reported to be less frequently or no longer sighted."
Chong added that eco-tourism in the area could be further developed under the Ramsar principles.
"The gazetting of the lake by the Pahang government as a Ramsar site is in process. The benefits it will bring to the local community are tremendous and there is strong interest from the government to develop this aspect."
(Participating countries in the Convention on Wetlands are invited to list habitats that have wetlands importance so that they can be made a Ramsar site.)
He said water in the lake was less transparent, especially in stations located close to oil palm estates and areas exposed to "high" human activities.
"It is also an indication of higher erosion in the catchment area due to removal of riparian vegetables," he said in a working paper entitled Tasik Bera: Past, Present, Future presented at the colloquium on lake and reservoir management, status and issues.
The event was opened by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid yesterday.
Chong said the decreasing amount of water in the lake was also a cause for concern.
"Areas with water readings of less than two metres will dry up during the hot season. The causes of lower water level are not specific and disputed by different parties," he said.
"It ultimately relates to the land management issues in the catchment area.
"There are unconfirmed reports of water being used to irrigate oil palm plantations, clearing of pandanus and dredging for drainage and navigation purposes that have resulted in higher water discharge.
"Alteration to the seasonal flooding patterns has also been suggested as a cause."
Chong said the degradation of water quality and quantity had severe implications on the livelihood of the Semelai community.
"The community depends on the lake for transportation and natural resources, which are harvested for making handicraft.
"Reports by the Semelai Association of Boating and Tourism claimed there were times when tourists were not able to go to the lake from Pos Iskandar or to the campsites due to low water level, especially during the dry season."
Chong said there were also documented reports of illegal logging of meranti and keruning trees and earth-removal activities.
"Certain endangered species such as the jelawat fish, crocodiles, red jungle fowls and masked finfoot were reported to be less frequently or no longer sighted."
Chong added that eco-tourism in the area could be further developed under the Ramsar principles.
"The gazetting of the lake by the Pahang government as a Ramsar site is in process. The benefits it will bring to the local community are tremendous and there is strong interest from the government to develop this aspect."
(Participating countries in the Convention on Wetlands are invited to list habitats that have wetlands importance so that they can be made a Ramsar site.)
Source:
2007/08/04
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